The next morning, Kalina awoke before Dominique, which was a first. Not wanting to disturb him, she quietly completed her morning routine and headed downstairs, a slight limp in her step from how sore she was.
Entering the kitchen, she found Joline and Mia preparing breakfast with the cook. Unlike Dominique, Joline didn't have a lot of kitchen staff because she preferred to do the cooking herself.
"Morning, Mi amore." Joline greeted as she was the first to catch sight of Kalina, her eyes warm with affection.
"Morning, Madre." Kalina replied with a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she walked towards the center counter and took a seat on one of the high chairs.
Mia raised a knowing eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eye, as she noticed Kalina's limp but said nothing. "Look who is up early." She remarked with a smirk. "I would have thought you'd still be sleeping from exhaustion."
